Coal-washer.



N. SHANNON.

GOAL WASHER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1907.

1,100,921 Patented June 23, 1914.

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N. SHANNON.

GOAL WASHER.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1907.

Patented June 23, 1914.

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flrrEsr 6 625 (767M COLUIIIA PLANOOIAPH CO" IA-18m. D- C UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

NICHOLAS SHANNON, OF COLLINSVILL'E, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO LINK BELTCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

COAL-WASHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September '7, 1907.

Patented June 23, 1914.

Serial No. 391,762. 7

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NICHOLAS SHANNON, acitizen of the United States, and resident of Gollinsville, Madisoncounty, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCoal-\Vashers, of which the following is a specification containing afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to a coal washer, my object being to construct asimple, inexpensive apparatus, utilizing the jig principle, and whichvery efiiciently washes coal and the like, and separates the refuse,such as clay, slate, and sulfur from the clean coal; and which apparatuscan be operated with a much less amount of power than are similardevices now in use.

To the above purposes, my invention consists in certain novel featuresof construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter morefully set forth, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section takenlongitudinally through the center of a coal washer of my improvedconstruction; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the coal washer; Fig. 3 is avertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detailsection illustrating the gate which controls the discharge of refusefrom the jig.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings :1 designates a tank,of suitable size and construction, and which is divided by means of thevertically disposed partitions 2 and 3 into three compartments, whichare designated as the clean coal compartment a, the jig compartment 5,and the refuse compartment 6.

The partition 2 does not extend all the way to the top of the tank 1,thereby forming an opening from the jig compartment into the clean coalcompartment at the upper end of the tank, and the partition 3 terminatesa short distance above the bottom of the tank 1, thereby forming anopening from the jig compartment into the refuse compartment.

Leading into the jig compartment, through one side of the tank 1, is awater inlet pipe 7, and leading from the opposite side of thiscompartment is an outlet pipe 8. Extending upward from the sides of thetank 1, above the jig compartment, are brackets 9; and journaled in theupper ends thereof is a shaft 10, which is driven in any suitablemanner. Fixed on this shaft 10 is a pair of eccentrics 11, upon whichare located straps 12, carried by the upper end of depending bars 13.

1 1 designates the body or hood of the jig, which is preferablyconstructed of sheet metal, in approximate rectangular form with opentop and bottom, and of such size as that considerable space is formed between the side and end walls of the jig, the side walls of the tank 1and the partitions and 3, when said jig is positioned in the igcompartment.

Fixed to the upper portions of the side walls of the jig are brackets15, which carry a transversely arranged shaft 16, said shaft beingsuspended by the lower ends of the bars 13.

Mounted in suitable brackets. on the end walls of the jig are rollers17, which, while the jig is in operation, bear upon the faces of thepartitions 2 and 3, thus maintaining the jig in its central position inthe jig compartment, and permitting it to move easily in a directvertical line.

Fixed in the upper portion of the jig is an inclined perforated plate18, in the lower end of which is formed an opening 19, through which therefuse discharges; and formed immediately above this opening, at thelower end of the plate or screen 18, is a refuse compartment 20, theentrance to which is controlled by a vertically moving gate 21, which isconnected by an inverted U-shaped rod 22 to a hand lever 23, whichlatter is journaled upon the shaft 16, and is provided at its rear endwith a latch 24:, adapted to lock in a rack 25.

Leading from the upper end of the jig, immediately over the compartment20, is a spout or chute 26, which discharges over the upper end of thepartition 2 into the clean coal compartment 4; and carried by the upperend of the jig 14, immediately above the upper end of the perforatedplate 18, is a hopper 27 through which the coal to be washed is to bedelivered to the jig.

When my improved washer is in use, water is admitted to the tank insufficient quantity to maintain the waterline above the upper end of thepartition 2, thus entirely submerging the plate 18 and the lower.

portion of the jig; and the shaft 10 being driven in any suitablemanner, imparts a vertical reciprocating motion to the by reason of theeccentrics 11 carried by the shaft 10; and as said jig moves vertically,the rollers 17 bear on the partitions 2 and 3, thus permitting said lgto move easily and with the expenditure of a minimum amount of power.

The coal to be washed is delivered to the hopper 27, and passes fromthence onto the perforated plate or screen 18; and, as the jigreciprocates, the slate, clay, sulfur, and other refuse, will readilygravitate to the bottom of the bed of coal in the jig, said refuse lyingimmediately uponthe plate or screen 18.

lVith each downward motion of the jig, the water confined between thefour walls of the lower portion or hood of the jig and below theperforated plate 18 will tend to force its way upward through theperforated plate in the form of jets; and, in so doing, the coal, beinglighter than the slate and other refuse, will be forced upward cleansedby the action of said jets, and be finally discharged through the chute26 into the clean coal compartment 4, the coal being assist-ed in itsmovement by the jets; whereas, the slate, and heavier particles ofrefuse, will form a bed immediately upon the screen or perforated plate18. This upward pressure of the water through the perforated plate ismade possible, owing to the fact that both the compartments 5 and 6 arefilled with water, and the opening through the partitions 3 is at thelower ends of said compartments; therefore, the volume of watercontained in the lower portion or hood of the will seek an exit in theform of jets through the perforated plate during the downward movementof said jig rather than force a corresponding volume of water upwardthrough the compartment 6.

When it is desired to permit the refuse to discharge from the perforatedplate 18, the operator elevates the gate 21. by manipulating the handlever 23, and the refuse will pass into the compartment 20, and fromthence will discharge through the opening 19, and finally gravitate tothe bottom of the refuse compartment 6, from whence it may be removed inany suitable manner.

If desired, the gate may be slightly opened and so held while the is inoperation by locking the point of the latch 24 in the rack 25, and thiswill permit a constant discharge of the refuse from the surface of thelate or screen 18.

In a coal washer of my improved construction, the is provided withroller bearings, and is not packed in any way, which arrangement permitssaid jig to be readily moved with a minimum amount of power; and byextending the body of the jig below the perforated plate or screen, avolume of water is trapped immediately be neath said plate or screen,which, together with the water in the refuse tank, is utilized toseparate the clean coal from the slate, and like refuse.

In my invention, the slate or refuse which does not pass through theperforations in the bottom of the ig moves therealong from the side orpoint where it is introduced to the opposite side, whence it isdelivered through a side opening into a slate chamber. This slatechamber is closed above but opens below into the inertia chamber beneaththe bottom of the jig. This inertia chamber is of considerable depth soas to confine a considerable amount of water and cause the confinedwater by its inertia to move upwardly through the perforations in thewhen the latter descends. In the particular form shown, the jig, theinertia chamber and the slate chamber are integral, but, of course, theyneed not be. An essential point is that when the jig descends, all ofthe water should be directed upwardly through the mass of material inthe This it could not do if the slate chamber did not open into theinertia chamber or if the slate chamber were open at the top, for ineither event the water in the inertia chamber would tend to seek theeasiest outlet, and that would be through the slate chamber, whereuponthe material in the jig would form a dead bed. By an arrangement havingthe characteristics of that which I have shown, when the jig descendsthe entire volume of water in the inertia chamber is forced upwardlythrough the material in the jig, for since the pressure is the same onthe bottom of the slate chamber and at the slate gate opening, there isno chance for the water thus to be, as it were, short-circuited from thebed. The slate freely drops into and through the inertia chamber.

The principle upon which my invention operates is, of course, entirelydifferent from that of those devices where the whole mass of water iscarried through the In this case the is moved upwardly and downwardly ina relatively still bed of water. There is little lateral flow of waterfrom the jig and a minimum amount of water disturbance within the Theseparation within the jig is effected by gravity so long as the bed ofmaterial in the is loosened up at regular intervals and the lateralmovement of the material from the is effected by the pressure of theincoming supply.

During the operation the water in the inertia chamber and in the may bethought of as for the most part substantially at rest. The water in theinertia chamber does not flow upwardly in any quantity, but only passesthrough the perforations in the bottom of the while such perforatedhottom isdescending through the water. Thus a larger amount of water isin the jig or above the bottom of the jig and therefore stratum materialcan distribute itself more widely measured in a vertical direction. Inother words, its particles separate or settle or tend to stratify, thelighter on top and the heavier toward the bottom. It is essential forsuccessful operation that substantially all of the water in the jig beconfined or be protected from violent lateral displacement. Such lateraldisplacement would occur if the slate chamber did not open into theinertia chamber or if it were open at the top in the operation of thedevice as described. When the jig descends,

the entire volume of water within the jig and within the inertia chamberremains practically still except so far as its operation is disturbed bythe upward and lateral rush of water through the slate chamber into thejig. hen the jig descends, the support for the material within the isremoved and the particles of the material within the jig being held insuspension immediately begin to descend with unequal velocity accordingto their specific gravity and arrange themselves in the desiredspecified form.

I claim 1. In a coal washer, a tank arranged to contain a body of water,a jig comprising a casing divided by a perforated plate, a gate carriedby the casing adjacent one end of said plate and forming with the wallsof the casing a refuse compartment, there being an opening in the bottomof said compartment for the discharge of refuse therefrom into thecasing beneath said plate, a coal discharging spout carried by thecasing and extending over said refuse compartment, and means forimparting a vertically reciprocating motion to the jig, whereby saidcasing will confine a body of water and cause the water to issue in jetsthrough said plate and also through the refuse compartment.

2. In a coal washer, a tank arranged to contain a body of water, a jig,comprising inclosing walls, open at its top and bottom, an inclinedplate dividing said inclosing walls into a coal receiving chamber abovethe plate and a water confining chamber beneath the plate, meansarranged within the confining walls above said plate and at thelowermost end of the plate for forming a refuse compartment, there beinga discharge opening in said plate at the bottom of said refusecompartment which leads from said compartment into the hood beneath theplate, there being jet openings formed in the body portion of saidplate, a coal discharging spout arranged over said refuse com part-ment,and means for imparting a vertical reciprocating motion to the jig.

3. In a coal washer, a jig comprising a coal compartment having itsbottom provided with a series of perforations and a refuse dischargeopening near one end thereof, a chamber projecting below said perforatedbottom and carried by and movable with said coal compartment andinclosing said refuse discharge opening, said chamber being adapted tocontain beneath the perforated bottom a constant and uniform volume ofwater, a refuse compartment located directly above and covering therefuse discharge opening, said refuse compartment being provided with agatecontrolled opening between the perforations in the bottom of thecoal compartment and the refuse discharge opening, a coal dischargespout lying above the refuse compartment, and means for imparting avertically reciprocating motion to the jig.

4:. In a coal washer, a jig comprising a coal compartment having aninclined perforated bottom and a refuse discharge open ing adjacent thelowermost end thereof, a chamber projecting below said perforatedinclined bottom and carried by and movable with said coal compartmentand inclosing said refuse discharge opening, said cham her being adaptedto confine beneath the perforated bottom a constant and uniform volumeof water, a refuse compartment located directly above and covering therefuse discharge opening, said refuse compartment being in communicationwith the coal compartment and with the chamber carried by the coalcompartment by means of an opening formed in one wall of said refusecompartment, a gate for the opening in the wall of said refusecompartment, means for operating said gate, and means for imparting avertically reciprocating motion to the jig whereby the water confined bythe chamber may be caused to issue in jets through the perforated bottomonly, or through both the perforated bottom and the refuse compartment,and a coal discharge spout carried by the coal compartment.

5. In a washer the combination of a washing tank with a jig thereinhaving a perforated bottom and material and refuse discharge openings atone side, means for reciprocating the jig, means for supplying materialto the jig at a distance from the openings, an inertia chamber beneaththe jig, a refuse chamber outside of the jig closed above, but connectedat all times dur ing operation with the refuse discharge opening of thejig and the inertia chamber whereby all the water is directed throughthe whole of the bed of material in the jig and the separated refuse isdischarged into the inertia chamber.

6.1n a washer the combination of a washing tank with a jig thereinhaving a perforated bottom and material and refuse discharge openings atone side, means for reciprocating the jig, means for supplying materialto the jig at a distance from the openings, a relatively deep downwardlyextending inertia chamber beneath the jig, a refuse chamber outside ofthe closed above but connected at all times during the operation withthe refuse discharge opening of the jig and the inertia chamber wherebyall the water is directed through the whole of the bed of material inthe jig and the separated refuse is discharged into the inertia chamber.

7. In a washer the combination of a washing tank with a jig thereinhaving a perforated bottom and material and refuse discharge openings atone side, means for reciprocating the jig, means for supplying materialto the jig at a distance from the openings, a relatively deep downwardlyextending inertia chamber attached to the jig and beneath the jig, arefuse chamber outside of the jig closed above but connected with therefuse discharge opening of the jig and the inertia chamber whereby allthe water is directed through the whole of the bed of material in thejig and the separated refuse is discharged into the inertia chamher.

8. In a washer the combination of a washing tank with a therein having aperforated bottom and material and refuse discharge openings at oneside, means for reciprocating the jig, means for supplying 'material tothe jig at a distance from the perforated bottom and material and refusedischarge openings at one side, means for reciprocating the ig, meansfor supplying material to the ig at a distance from the openings, arelatively deep downwardly 8X1 tending inertia chamber attached to thejig and beneath the jig, a refuse chamber outside of but attached so asto reciprocate with the and connected with the refuse discharge openingof the jig and the inertia chamber whereby the water is directed throughthe whole of the bed of material in the and the separated refuse isdischarged into the inertia chamber.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inpresence of two subscribing witnesses.

NICHOLAS SHANNON. lVitnesses M. P. SMITH, E. L. WALLACE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

